


Partners

by Berrytron



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-17
Updated: 2014-09-17
Packaged: 2018-02-17 20:05:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2321660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Berrytron/pseuds/Berrytron
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Skids crushes hard on Getaway and wonders if they were ever more than friends. Swerve knows how to start a conversation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Partners

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a prompt from big-stupid-jellyfish.tumblr.com

Three drinks in and he’d finally worked up the courage to ask the question that had been gnawing at him since his return from Luna 1. He threw a cautious glance around the room and motioned toward his friend behind the bar.  
  
“Hey, Swerve…” Swerve’s tiny head perked up at the sound of his name, turning it sharply as he sought the source of the call. “Swerve.” Skids said again, waving slightly to get his attention.  
  
“Why are you whispering?” Swerve asked loudly, hobbling his way towards his friend, cup and cleaning cloth in hand.

Skids pressed a finger to his lips and leaned in. “What do you know about Getaway?” He asked, his voice still barely above a whisper. Swerve strained to hear and wondered if his audio receptors were damaged or Skids was actually divulging in a secret.

“Getaway?” He mused, absently swirling the cloth around a clean dish. “You know as much as I do.” He paused expecting an agreement, but Skids was still listening intently.

“You know, Diplomatic Corps. Worked for Prowl. I thought you knew that.” He replied innocently.

“I do, I do…” Skids prodded. “But is there anything else? You know…anything about our…personal relationship?”

Swerve gave him an accusing look and laughed suddenly. He tossed the cloth aside and leaned forward on the bar. “You actually want to know if you two were  _fragging._ ” He teased, his grin as big as his face.

Skids had to restrain himself from hurdling over the bar to stuff his fist into his small friend’s big mouth. “NO!” He stumbled clumsily back into his seat, almost knocking it over. A few bots nearby turned at the noise and Skids waited for them to lose interest before returning to the conversation.  
  
“No…” He said more quietly this time, making sure no one was listening in. Swerve was not convinced. “Look. Okay, maybe I am, but not… not to  _that_  extent. I meant as in friends. Unless… unless we were closer. Were we…? I mean, not that I think we were, but  _if_  we were… I want to know.” Skids’ spark felt tight in his chest. Why he had chosen to divulge his curiosity to Swerve of all people eluded him. Swerve was the last person anyone wanted to tell a secret to, even if he was your friend, but alas, he was his friend.

Swerve sighed comically. “I don’t know, Skids. Have you tried, you know,  _asking him_?”

Skids wasn’t known to be particularly shy, which was why Swerve felt instantly intrigued by his buddy’s uncharacteristic apprehension.

“No, no… I can’t ask him something like that. I don’t want to insinuate.” Skids clawed anxiously at his chair. “I think… I think if there was anything between us, he would have said something… but then again…” As fate would have it, Getaway entered the room just then, and he was making a beeline for the bar. “Nevermind.” Skids swallowed harshly when he spotted him. “Forget I asked.”

A wicked grin came over Swerve’s face. “Hey, Getaway!” He shouted, flapping his arms wildly. In a frenzy, Skids grabbed one of them and pinned it to the table, but Swerve carried on. “Getaway, hey, over here!” Skids needed more hands and Swerve needed one less mouth. He desperately tried to quiet his friend without it being too noticeable, but it was to no avail.  
  
“You screamed?” Getaway asked, settling himself on the stool next to Skids. Skids tensed, releasing the bartender’s hand and stuffing his own beneath the table. He could feel the warmth of Getaway’s frame against his; the subtle, soft burst of hot air against his trembling legs. He’d just finished his shift in security, undoubtedly, and was coming to the bar for a meal. Skids cursed himself for picking the worst possible time to have the chat with Swerve.

“Skids here wants to know if you and him were  _a couple_.” Swerve chuckled. He was evil, pure evil. All these millions of years fighting Decepticons and the purest form of evil was behind a bar pouring drinks and laughing at another’s expense.  Skids muttered a curse under his breath.  
  
“No, actually, we weren’t that close.” Getaway shrugged, unaffected. “Our relationship was completely professional. I mean, you even hated it when I bomped you.” He raised a fist to feign a playful hit, but let it fall when he sensed his friend’s mild discomfort.  
  
“Oh.” Skids said softly. He hadn’t meant to sound so disappointed, because he wasn’t really. It was certainly a weight off his shoulders. It was just one of many things about his life he would lie awake at night worrying that he had forgotten. “Well, that’s good to know.” He said bluntly. “I wouldn’t want to disappoint you.” He rose suddenly from his seat. He’d meant to say a quick goodbye, but when nothing sounded from his lips, and he hurried to the exit, only stopping to vent when the door of his hab-suite clicked shut behind him.

-

He couldn’t avoid him forever. Per captain’s orders, Skids and Getaway were both in charge maintaining basic security aboard the ship. Skids was reluctant to spend time in public places for much of the next day and preferred to curse himself in solitude for his ridiculous reaction and subsequent embarrassment over something so trivial that he’d made needlessly dramatic. He had nothing to be ashamed of, but he still felt his vents get hot when he passed Getaway in the hall on the way to work.

“Hi.” Getaway said, like always. He seemed completely unfazed by last night’s incident. Skids couldn’t stand to be so anxious any longer. He was beating himself up over nothing.

“I’m completely embarrassed about what happened last night.” Skids admitted suddenly and confidently, catching Getaway slightly off-guard.

“Oh, you mean…” He pondered momentarily. His mask hid his mouth, but Getaway smiled with his eyes. He laughed softly. “Don’t worry about it. It’s completely understandable. Losing your memory is a big deal.”

Skids vented heavily, admiring Getaway’s calm and collected composure. “Right, I’m just trying to piece back together the last year of my life, is all.” He bit his lip. “So… there was nothing?” He muttered hesitantly. At this point, he figured he may as well come out and say it.

“Nope.” Getaway chirped, his steps were light and unencumbered by apprehension.

“Because…” Skids picked his feet up to match his pace. “Because I’ve been wondering to myself… what the hell was I thinking?”

Getaway cocked his head, his bright, emotive eyes displaying genuine confusion as he studied Skids’ smirk and stride.

“Really.” Skids bumped against him casually as they walked. He grinned nervously. “How could we have not been a couple? I barely know you now and I already think you’re stunning, but we worked together for a while. You must have done something really terrible to not have me fall for you then. Primus, what was wrong with me?” He chuckled lightly.

Getaway choked back a squeak. “Honestly?” He stammered, nearly tripping over his own feet when a little hop came over him. “Skids… I really had no idea. You should have said something earlier.”

Skids found to courage to look him in the eyes. His friend was beaming with delight. Skids was slightly taken aback; he hadn’t expected such an enthusiastic response. Getaway stopped in his tracks and Skids slowed to a halt as Getaway fought to find his words.

“I’ll admit…” He wrung his hands anxiously. “I had a thing for you. Nothing serious, nothing…weird. But I liked you. I liked being near you. You were my best friend. I tried… I tried once to tell you how I felt, but you either didn’t understand or didn’t want to.” Getaway shrugged. “I left it at that.”

Skids smiled meekly and shook his head. “Yeah… yeah, I must have been totally naïve. Let me make it up to you, please, you deserve it.” He placed his hand into Getaway’s and tugged lightly. “Partners?” He asked sweetly.

Getaway’s squinting eyes glimmered brightly. He returned the gesture by clasping his fingers firmly around his friend’s hand. “Partners.”


End file.
